


The Prisoner of Your Eyes

by Breagen



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25886779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Breagen/pseuds/Breagen
Summary: It will be just an easy mission. It was what the elders told Akali when she was assigned to the fort in the very edge of Ionia. She felt that something bad was about to happen, but she had no right to refuse the elders' decision. Soon enough, the fort was burnt down with the majority of its soldiers. The young woman is set between the choice. She can eighter accept the Noxian's offer, or she can bring the doom to her country. What makes the matter even worse, is the fact that whatever she chooses won't end her problems.
Relationships: Akali/Katarina Du Couteau, Akali/Xan Irelia
Kudos: 22





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, it's the second part of my gift for all of the readers. It's just a story that was written in Polish in past, but tbh, it was never finished.  
> I hope you'll like it.  
> I might release a 3rd part of The Power of Love at the very end of the week, but no promises.

She was hearing the screams of pain, the soft sobbing of people who were about to die. All these noises were coming from far too close distance for her comfort. The smell of the burning flesh filled her nostrils in no time, making her want to throw up. Akali could not say where was she ... to be frank, she didn’t remember a thing. The last couple of days, or maybe even longer period, was a bit fuzzy for the Ionian assassin.

It must have been a really late evening, or maybe she was just wrong. The heat could be associated with the day time of this year’s summer. But, now a cool wind was blowing, the temperature decreased significantly. 

To make her situation even worse, she could not see anything. All she could see was darkness. Apparently, someone must have put a blindfold on her. The woman tried to reach out for the item to remove it from her eyes, but she could not move. Her legs and hands have been tied down. Based on the pressure it was inflicting on her body, she was tied down by the ropes, very thick ropes.

The raven-haired woman tried to wriggle out of the lines, but to no avail. The person who put the lines on knew what he was doing.

With anything else to focus on, the assassin started to listen to every single sound that was around her. In the distance, she could have sworn that she heard the weak echo of battle.

The sand squeaked under the heavy boots. The tied-down woman tensed visibly, the sound came from too close. The owner of the boots was slowly approaching her.

The stench of an unwashed man mixed with the smell of fresh blood hit her nostrils only a couple of moments later. With every passing moment, her stomach wanted to empty itself even more. The mixture of the smells that surrounded her was slowly killing her smell sense. Akali wanted nothing more than for all of it to end, but if it could not be done, she would be satisfied with being free with her kamas in her hands.

The man stopped right in front of her, or at least it seemed that way to the raven-haired. The stench that she associated with the man – most likely a soldier – increased. He must have leaned over her.

“Damn … Niels, come see what we captured today,” the soldier called out in Va-Nox.

The Ionian assassin understood only a little, but she was certain that the man was calling his companion to watch her. “It won’t end good,” she sighed deep inside her mind.

The sounds of another man’s steps reached the ears of the tided-down woman only a couple of seconds later.

“What do you want Soth?” the new-comer nag. “You know that we must get out off here in like a couple of minutes?”

“I know, I know … but, look at that woman I found earlier,” the first man said with excitement in his voice. “I won’t be that lonely during the nights anymore.”

“Ehhh … I really don’t want to kill your excitement, but the general won’t allow you to have her,” the new-comer sighed. “We need to get going,” the man added. “Now, you can either kill her, or take her with you, but then, the commander will decide about her fate,” he provided an additional explanation.

“I’m taking her with me!” the stinking soldier growled. “The general won’t take my war loot away from me.”

“I knew a man who told something like that in the past,” the soldier’s companion started in a grim tone. “He even challenged the commander for his war loot, as you might expect already, he was humiliated and then killed. If you want to do the same, it’s your will,” the new-comer said in a plain tone, and turned around, starting to walk away.

“Fucking Niels!” the stinking man cursed under his nose. “I’ll fucking show him how much he’s mistaken,” his continued to growl. “And you,” he focused on the tided-down assassin, “you’ll be soon pleasing me during the long, cold nights,” the soldier started to laugh. His voice was filled with lust.

In a matter of the next few moments, the stinking Noxian picked her up from the ground like a bag of potatoes. Then, he placed her onto his broad shoulder and started to follow his companion.

It was the worst kind of humiliation that Akali has ever experienced. If she was to choose her fate, she would take death in a blink of an eye. Even a fleeting thought that she would have to please the stinking soldier was making her sick. Truth be told, she would kill him sooner or later, but thought that his hand could be on her skin, his genitalia inside of her, it was more than gross.

She was being shaken in a rhythm of the soldier’s pace. The assassin didn’t know exactly where they were heading, but the sounds of the drums and peoples’ shouts were coming from close and close with every step that the soldier took.

Soon enough, she was thrown into the ground like a bag of potatoes. It hurt her a bit, but she muffed any sound of pain.

All around her, there were voices. The Va-Nox was being mixed with Ur-Nox, but the meaning of the conversations could not be understood by the woman. The soldiers were simply talking too fast for her little knowledge of their languages to process the information.

“Soth!” the commanding voice emerged from the close distance. “Hand down the woman you brought here.”

“Why?” the soldier asked in a venomous tone. “She’s my prize, she’s my share of the raiding loot,” he added confidently.

“You’re that stupid, soldier?” the dominant voice asked. “I gave you just one order, you were to capture the woman in green attire, with a facemask, and with the dragon tattoo,” the most likely commander growled. “Look at her, then tell me that she isn’t the one that I wanted you to capture.”

“It doesn’t matter, she’s mine, I have captured her,” the stinky man opposed his officer. “If you want her, you’ll need to kill me!” the soldier threw the challenge.

“You’re far more stupid than I have ever expected,” the officer laughed loudly. “Remove the blindfold, let the girl see your downfall,” he ordered.

“I won’t do that,” the soldier replied in a low tone. “You can do that only when my body will be cold …” the man tried to boast, but he was interrupted.

Akali could hear the cling when the steel met the steel. The sand and the dirt was being squeaked during the duel.

Akali felt the heat nearby, she must have been thrown near some sort of fire. The assassin’s skin started to be covered in sweat. The raven-haired didn’t enjoy that sensation, more so that her fate was in the hands of whoever would win the fight taking place a mere couple of metres away from her.

All the tided-down woman could do was to listen to the sounds of the duel. She could recognise the soldier that carried her there. He was out of breath while his opponent’s breath was perfectly stable. “Hmmm … there is an enormous gap in the experience department between them,” was the initial thought of the assassin. “I’m pretty sure I have heard the commander’s voice before, but I just can’t put my finger on it,” she continued her thought process.

The fight over her was coming to its end. It was an easy task to notice that the general of Noxian invaders was winning without much effort. Then, why the loud gasp escaped the mouth of the stinky soldier, the realisation came. “It’s Darius, so I’ll live, they’re planning something and the part of that plan is me,” the raven-haired sighed in her mind. “Splendid, even more problems.”

“Please, please … General, spare me,” the wounded soldier began to plead for his life.

“You had your chance, filth, you wasted it,” the strong voice of Darius rang in the ears of the woman.

A moment later, the sound of the descending battle-axe reached Akali. The smell of fresh blood filled the air nearly instantly, but something was mixing with that. Something that the assassin could not recognise, or at least could not recognise at the very beginning. After just a few seconds, Ionian knew what was that, urine.

The chants of the gathered soldiers stunned the raven-haired. They were so loud, so excited about the easy win of their leader.

Soon enough, she was once again picked up from the ground. This time, the person doing it was slightly more gentle while doing so. Her ties were cut a moment later, and the blindfold was discarded shortly after.

Akali needed a few blinks to adapt her eyes to the significant amount of light coming from the sunset and bonfires. When the process was completed, she could easily see the Might of Noxus, their mightiest general – Darius. As per usual he was wearing his heavy armour with a red cape, and in his right hand, the trusted battle-axe could be seen covered in fresh blood.

“What do you want from me?” Akali asked in a plain tone.

“We have a job for you, ninja,” Darius responded simply.

“And why would I ever accept your offer? Could you explain it to me?” the woman asked ironically.

“The post you were staying in was burnt down to the ground. Most of the soldiers stationing there were killed,” the general replied.

“You could tell me something I don’t know already,” the raven-haired replied in a low tone. “I smelled the bodies being burnt, I know what you did, but I won’t turn back time. I’m not able to.”

“And what if I say that I have many, many more soldier waiting for my command to conquer your country, to kill your loved ones?”

“I don’t see the reason behind your offer,” the assassin confessed. “What is the life of a single entity worth? Explain that to me, you want to trade my life for the lives of my people? Did I get it right?”

“Exactly,” the Might of Noxus nodded.

“How can I be sure that you’ll hold up your end of the bargain?” the curious ninja asked.

“I may be Noxian, but honour means a lot to me,” the man slightly rose his voice. “But, if you still don’t believe me, come with me, I’ll show you the might that will be released upon your people if you don’t agree for that bargain.”

Without anything better to do, the raven-haired Ionian followed the steps of the Noxian. Even though she hated Noxians for everything they did to her country, she considered Darius, a fine officer. His soldiers, or at least the majority of them obeyed his order without hesitation, they followed his lead.

Soon enough, they reached the very end of the cliff. Akali mostly focused on her own thoughts, but still, she kept an eye on the Noxain’s raiders’ leader. As soon as the man stopped, she did the same. She looked directly into the eyes of the man who ordered her people to be killed.

“Don’t look at me, look at the area down below,” the general spoke in a low tone.

“Fair enough,” the ninja replied.

In a matter of seconds, she averted her gaze from the tall soldier and lowered it. What she saw made her heart missed a beat, or two. Beneath them, there were dozens or even hundreds of Noxain’s ships. Most of them were not even moored to the beach. Maybe two or three smallest boats were. Even though the distance between her and the fleet down below was significant, she could spot the masses of soldiers doing her chores on the decks.

Akali swallowed a thick gulp that was formed in her throat, then turned around to face Darius once again.

“Do you believe me now?” he asked with a smirk on his face.

“Yes,” the short answer was provided. “If I agreed for that bargain, you would retreat these ships?”

“Yes, that exactly what I was told to do,” the man replied stoically.

“Then, we have a bargain it seems,” Akali whispered.

“Yes, I think we do,” the voice of Darius reached out Akali’s ears as if from miles away. The young woman was lost, she didn’t know what she had signed in for, but she could not let that horde descend upon Ionia. Her people would not be able to survive that.

“Farewell,” the ninja said to Ionia. “I don’t know if I am to see you again,” she added while the single tear ran down her cheek.


	2. Welcome to Noxus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for everything, I hope you'll enjoy the preview.  
> I'm still trying to figure out what is the best way for me to write to change the way I write, so if you want to comment, point out mistakes or something else, feel free to do so :)
> 
> The chapter is finished (2020.08.26), enjoy :)
> 
> I have reached more than 17k reads across ao3 and ff, so I'll try to write something special for that occasion. If you want me to write something specific, feel free to write it in comments :D

The young woman could only have a glimpse of hope that the deal she agreed upon would not turn out as one big lie. Part of Ionian assassin wanted to believe in it, but doubt was still creeping its way deep inside her mind.

Akali has not been tied down again, Noxians allowed her to walk free. At least for that convenience, the assassin knew whom to thank for. The giant-like figure of Darius was towering over all of his subordinates. After Akali agreed to travel to Noxus, he gave a few quick orders to his men, and then the man went silent. The general could be overwhelmed by the thoughts that were cradling inside his mind.

The young assassin could not do anything than just allow to be led to the flagship of the armada. The ninja did not like the smiles that were being flashed by the crew members of the boat. They were imbued with primal desires such as lust. She would lie if she said that she was not scared. The black-haired woman was surrounded by at least a couple of dozens of men, she did not have any weapon in hand’s reach. Even with her abilities, she would be overwhelmed quite easily. Thankfully, the Noxians did not do anything more than just staring at her with desires filling their eyes.

Darius must have noticed that the raven-haired got confounded. With a low growl, the giant man brought the attention of all toward himself.

“Have you already forgotten the rules?” he asked a rhetorical question in a really low tone as if it was just a threat.

“Ay … General, you said that we need to bring her back, you ain’t say that we couldn’t …,” one of the sailors started.

“If you had anything between those ears of yours, I’d strongly recommend reconsidering what you’re about to say,” the giant growled. “She’s the property of Du Couteau’s house. Let it be known that anyone who tries to put a hand on her will be put to grave immediately by my own hands. Do you understand that?”

“Can’t we make a slight adjustment to this arrangement, boss?” another soldier asked. “She must be delivered to Du Couteau’s senior, but nobody needs to know that she slightly used during the delivering period. What do you think about that, boss? We weren’t on land for a quite few days by now … some of us could use a bit womanish warmth to relax. How does it sound?” the man explained his proposition.

If Akali was scared before, she was utterly terrified now. With every ounce of courage, she could muster at that moment, she tried to remain calm, to appear as not affected by the words of the man. But … she failed to do so … she failed because her eyes focused on the Noxian general as if pleading him to stop that madness.

Darius noticed that minor change, but he was not the only one. The soldier who made the proposition was eyed her carefully.

“We all know that there is a hierarchy and all of us are placed somewhere in it,” the man said. “You’re our boss, so it’s only fair for you to have her as the very first.”

The words of the soldier surprised the assassin to some extent, but she did not allow herself to show that emotion on top of her face. It was so obvious that he tried to encourage the Noxian hero to deliberately disobey an order. If he succeeded, the fate of the young woman was sealed, she would be raped over and over again. But, there was a second side of the medal in that decision. If Darius disobeyed, the bold soldier would use it against the giant, maybe to secure a rank, or maybe for some other reason.

Akali could not do anything but pray that the Noxian hero would make a good decision.

For a couple of prolonged moments, the silence fell upon the ship. The hand of Noxus was as still as he could be. His face was expressionless, plain. It seemed as if he was fighting a battle deep inside his mind.

After a few additional seconds he turned around. Now, the giant was facing the unarmed woman, but the raven-haired still could not read anything off of his face.

“As you heard, you’re the property of one of the greatest houses Noxus has to offer, it means your life means as much as their senior values it. Do you understand it?” the axeman used probably his most formal tone asking the question.

“I do,” the assassin answered in a plain tone. “It is something I agreed upon to save my homeland,” she added.

“Exactly,” Darius commented. “What would you do if we as Noxus broke the deal?”

“I would not rest until I would kill you all, up to the very last of you,” the woman calmly responded.

“As of you Mirrenth,” the hand of Noxus started while turning around, “I’m pretty aware of your ambitions. I know how badly you want to rank up,” the man laughed horrifyingly.

“Beg your pardon, boss?” the soldier tried to play the fool.

“I must get you that … to some extent, it was a really good try,” Darius continued to laugh while slowly closing the distance between him and the man called Mirrenth. “I know how much all of you,” the axeman pointed out at the entirety of the crew, “I know how much all of you think about yourself as true men who need to fuck every single woman on their way. I despise that, I despise everyone who thinks that way, even if she wasn’t the property of the house, I wouldn’t allow you to rape her,” he said. “As of you Mirrenth, you’re dead,” the giant added swinging his battleaxe so swiftly that most of the people on the board could not see the strike.

Only a moment later, the loathsome sound of Mirrenth’s head falling onto the deck could be heard. The rest of up to the recent lived soldier’s body collapsed. His blood soon started to flood the deck. It was fresh, thick, red.

“I assume it’s a sufficient example for all of you?” the general asked.

“Yes, general,” the rest of the crew shouted immediately.

“Good … really good. Now, back to your posts, we have a long way home!” the dark-haired man ordered.

“And … as of you,” the general referred to the dark-haired woman when the crew went back to their posts. “Till the end of this voyage, my cabin is yours. It’d be a wasted effort if some of these degenerated men forced you during the night,” the giant added after a short pause.

“I assume they are not your men?” the assassin asked while looking straight into the eyes of the Noxus’s hero.

“Is that so obvious?” the man chuckled.

“I guess … I heard the stories that you are one of a few who cares about the lives of the soldiers under your command. And … what you showed by now … does not exactly represent such an approach,” Akali explained.

“Yeah … it seems that I’m that obvious,” the man laughed for a moment. “But back to your question … no, they aren’t my men. They’re just fucking thieves, criminals that were put into invading forces recently. The idea was so fucking simple … no-one would be sad if all of them died. On the side note, it’s helping with preserving the peace in the homeland,” he added.

“Why do you tell me so much?” Akali wanted to know. “You have already mentioned who the invaders are, you spilt a bit of information about the situation in your country,” the black-haired pointed out. “You could do it in only two scenarios,” she added swallowing a gulp in her throat. “The first situation is when you are sure that that person will never leave your country. You are planning to kill that person or force it to stay in.”

“Hmm … you’re an observant, aren’t you?” the general hummed. “What about the second scenario?” he asked while scratching his short beard.

“Eh …” Rogue sighed deeply. “You can accept the loss of vital information if you need someone to do with your internal problems. If you assured that the required person stays in your country for an extended period of time, you would pretty much neglect the loss of information. The basic idea is that if you need something to be done by an outsider, it is not vital to preserving data, because the flow can be changed just by the outsider’s actions,” the assassin explained as detailed as she could.

“You’re clever, I must admit that,” the mountain-like figure of the soldier started to laugh once again. “Which situation you’re in right now, what do you think?”

The Ionian assassin took a couple of prolonged moment to think about the answer. She turned around to face the ocean. It was clear that she needed to gather her thoughts. Akali looked at the slowly receding cliffs of her homeland.

“Based on everything that happened already,” the girl started to form an answer slowly, “I think I am in the second scenario …”

“And why do you think that?” Darius interrupted the Ionian woman.

“If you wanted me dead, you would kill me when you had an opportunity,” the raven-haired started. “You have even defended me 2 times already. Not to mention that you made it clear that Du Couteau’s house wants me alive and sound. For whichever reason, I don’t know, but you repeated that exact phrase at least a couple of times by now,” the Ionian provided her reasoning.

“Very detailed answer shall I mention,” the man flashed a small smile. “Yeah … all that you said is true, we aren’t going to kill you, of course, it can quickly change if you refuse to follow the orders,” the general added in a stern voice.

“Pfff … as if it was any different from the rest of my life,” the assassin shrug her arms. “Throughout my entire life, all I was taught was to obey, to follow orders. You can be sure that as long as you keep your part of the pact, I will follow mine,” the raven-haired added in a venomous tone.

“You indeed have many aspects that the world doesn’t know,” the man nodded. “All I know about you is everything that I have learned during your time in the league,” he added.

“I assume you are curious,” the ninja whispered.

“I’d need to lie if I said otherwise,” the general admitted. “Would you spill a bean?”

“Sorry axeman, I like to keep my secrets to myself,” the woman smirked. “You know, there is a saying that knowing the true name of something or someone gives you control over it, you can say the same about secrets,” assassin winked. “If you wanted me so badly to work for you that you organise this invasion, I can not afford to say much about myself. After all, it is what you are going to pay for.”

“Hmmm … it’s a bizarre way to sum it up, but fine, I got the point,” the Hand of Noxus laughed. “Let me show you where you’ll be sleeping, we have a long voyage ahead,” he added after a moment.

“Sure, it is not like I can do anything better than to way till you bring me to Noxus and present me to your supervisor,” Akali replied in a plain tone, not caring much for an answer.

“Understandable,” the man whispered under his breath and started to lead the Ionian to up-to-recent his cabin.

**_Many days later:_ **

Akali woke up early – as she was used to for the entirety of her life – every single additional day she had to spend on the flagship was like a horror that was repeating itself over and over again. Truth be told, maybe it was not a horror, maybe more like a trap. She could do very little things on the ship. Every time she left the safety of a given cabin, there was a slight probability that some of those degenerates would try to force her. To make matters worse, Darius did not trust her enough to offer her any kind of weapon, to be fair, Akali did not trust the Hand of Noxus neither.

This morning felt a bit different, to be frank. She could have sworn that she was woken up by the squawks of the seagulls. They were trapped on the open sea for at least a couple of days, so the sound of seagulls was something new to the assassin.

The question was whether should Akali risk to sneak into the deck or should she stay inside the cabin. As you might already know, the young woman was not an idle type of person, so as soon as the opportunity for her to leave her so-called safe place, she just left. To be frank, the cabin was more like a prison cell for her, it limited her options, but beggars could not be choosers, she agreed for the bargain, she needed to live with its consequences.

A couple of prolonged moment took the raven-haired girl to sneak onto the ship’s deck. It was still a young morning, so most of the crew was asleep, only a couple of them who were assigned to the specific posts were on foot.

The soft breeze hit Akali’s face as soon as she exited the underdeck.

“Wait, what … breeze?” she suddenly gasped.

As fast as she could, the young woman turned around. A moment later, she saw what she wanted to see. There was a small city nearby with a small haven. Based on the banners that were flying with the wind, it was Noxus. The banners were nearly everywhere. They were like a sign for all foreigners that says “We are Noxus, and we will fight you no matter what.”

The raven-haired ninja was slightly taken aback. It was so long since she was allowed to put a step on the solid ground freely. And … to be perfectly honest, it was quite some time since she could take a normal bath, to wash up the dirt and the smell out of her skin.

The Ionian nearly jumped when someone loudly cleared the throat behind her.

“Hello, morning bird,” Darius said in a hoarse voice. “Before you ask that mass of questions that are currently in your mind, let me interrupt you,” he added, taking a big sip from the mug in his hand. “We’re going to dock here, we’re extremely close to of many Du Couteau’s villas. I was informed to bring you there, so I’m going to do so.”

“Finally,” Akali sighed. “It felt like ages if I might add,” she added.

“Yeah, it did, but after all, we’re finally there. I need another drink, and you … you need to take a bath,” the man laughed.

“Pardon, I might not smell good, but I am not even close to how smelly most of you are,” the assassin giggled.

“Yeah, but still you’re a woman, and you should be presented nicely to the senior of the house,” Darius responded.

“I guess so,” the raven-haired agreed. “By the way, what is this settlement?”

“It’s called ‘Hope’, or should I rather say that if you translate that word from my language, it’d mean ‘Hope’. Someone had a pretty bad sense of humour while naming it as such. In that settlement, there are only brothels, barracks, and some trading posts. It’s basically the place where you’re going to get laid, arm yourself and then go to war,” the Hand of Noxus added with a grim facial expression.

“I … I understand,” Akali murmured. “So, where can I refresh myself there?”

“We’ll have to either go to any brothel or see if there is any tavern in there,” the man replied while scratching his nape.

“Ahh … beggers can not be choosers, I guess?” the masked woman sighed.

“Yeah, pretty much so.”


	3. Du Couteau send their regards

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey... here's the 3rd chapter of the story, enjoy.
> 
> Hope you'll like it.
> 
> As always... thanks for everything, and see you next time :D
> 
> A little bit of info before reading. Talon's physical appearance is based on the Yosukii SSW Talon art. You can find it on DeviantArt under the link:  
> https://www.deviantart.com/yosukii/art/SSW-Talon-545987992
> 
> 2020.11.04 - preview posted  
> 2020.11.07 - a whole chapter posted

Within minutes the flagship of the armada docked at the surprisingly large harbour that was a part of “Hope”. To Akali’s surprise, the rest of the fleet was most likely ordered to move to another base of operation. The ships did not stop, in fact, instead, they were slowly moving alongside the coastline. To some extent, it was a bit incomprehensible to Akali, after all, the armada was not meant to return to Iona. Or… at least not in the near future.

When the raven-haired woman finally came down from the flagship, her legs were trembling. Throughout the entirety of the voyage, it seemed that she got used to the constant swaying of the floor. A couple of moments needed to be spent to adjust to new surroundings and situation. To the assassin, it was a humiliating experience. She was meant to be a perfect predator who could take down anyone anywhere at any given time. But… it seemed that sailing overwhelmed her without any problems.

“Judging by who miserable you’re looking currently… it was your first time travelling by sea,” the Might of the Noxus said in a plain tone.

“Should I award you for your obvious observation skills?” the young woman muttered cynically.

“I think I’ll be good even without it,” Darius replied with a hint of boredom in his voice. “Shall we continue to the brothel, or you need more time?”

“We should go… I will be fine,” Akali responded as cooly as she could. “Let’s go.”

The raven-haired Ionian allowed a heavy sight to escape her throat. After that, she straightened up and gave a sign for the tall man to lead. Even though she did not want to show, she needed a hefty portion of her strength and iron will to walk beside the warrior as if she was perfectly fine.

“You know… I thought that you should be a better actress,” the Noxian warrior chuckled.

“Ehhh… I am that bad at hiding my current state?” the ninja asked, sighing.

“No, you’d be able to fool probably most of the people, but not me,” Darius exclaimed, proudly pointing at his broad chest.

“And… what makes you so special, general?”Akali wanted to know.

“As you might know… it’s not the first time I was assigned to lead Noxian’s forces into battle,” the warrior started, the proud tone could be heard in his voice. “There were many times when I needed to make sure my soldiers would not break down while fulfiling my commands. Sometimes… I could just send them home, sometimes I needed to kill them myself,” he added in a quiet tone.

“You talked with them… to verify whether you could put your trust on them,” the raven-haired Ionian stated. “If they were to die, you wanted to be the last one who looks at their eyes, and kill them, am I right?”

“Yes… it was the least I could do,” Darius sighed heavily. “I’m a leader that earns the trust and respect of his soldiers. If someone must be killed due to the law, it’s my responsibility to deliver the law.”

“I understand… I would agree that someone who can not make difficult decisions and live with the consequences of them, should not lead,” the assassin said in a plain tone. “If you have to know… I was the one who was executing the people who Kinkou wanted dead. And… I do not feel that it was much easier than your role,” she whispered.

“How so… ninja?” the man hummed. “I’d assume that your targets usually were adult men,” he added.

“And that assumption would be true, but as you said yourself, they were usually adult,” the raven-haired woman replied in a low tone.

“Oh…” Darius chuckled. “Did they force you to kill someone you didn’t want to?”

“The balance must be preserved,” the assassin whispered under her breath.

“What did you say?” the intrigued man wanted to know.

“It was the one sentence that was I taught to remember and respect,” Akali started. “It did not matter whether I felt pity toward my targets. It did not matter whether they were adult or not. If the leaders of Kinkou decided that someone was presenting or could present a threat to the balance, I was just a tool in their hands. As you might know… the tools, they don’t feel, they don’t regret, they don’t think. It is who I am toward the order.”

“Hmmm… surprisingly, you’ve opened up, but… in that flood of words that you just said, there weren’t meaningful details. They were only words,” the Noxian soldier summed up Akali’s statement. “You’re trying to hide something, something that bothers you, or… which is more likely, hurts you,” he added after taking a deep breath.

“Does it matter whether I hide something or not?” the brown-eyed Ionian replied with a question of her own.

“Haha,” the Might of Noxus burst out with laughter. “I think I like you, little Rogue,” he added with a hint of sympathy in his voice. “It’d be in your best interest to stay in a good relationship with us – Noxians – during your stay here. So… the answer to your question is, yes it matters. The more you open up, the easier it’ll be for you to work with Du Couteau’s family,” the man stated. “So… what would you like to say?”

“Ehhh…” the young woman sighed heavily. “Fine. It was not uncommon for me to be tasked with the elimination of entire families,” she said quietly.

“Wait… are you trying to tell me…”

“Yes,” Akali nodded with her head. “Even though I had little to none problems with killing the adults, the infants were a totally different case. Every single time I had to kill a child… I was playing with it, waiting for it to fall asleep, then as quickly and quickly I would break its neck. I did not want it to feel any pain, after all, it was not its choice to be born into my target’s family. So… I was trying to be as gentle as I could. Still… with every single time, I was forced to kill a child, something deep inside of me was dying,” she finished in a sorrowful tone.

“Yeah… killing kids is never an easy task to fulfil,” Darius agreed, turning around to look at the assassin.

To say that he was shocked, it would be a definite understatement. Even though Akali’s face was mostly hidden under the mask, it is evident that she was crying. The trails of the tears could be spotted on her skin, more than that, her eyes got swollen. To Darius, it was quite a shocking experience. He knew that Akali was young, but that minor detail did not stop her from making a name in League. It was quite the opposite, to be frank. The tall man remembered the day when all of the champions were summoned for the very first time by Summoners. Most of them looked like serial killers, seasoned warriors, criminalists in their peak, to be frank, they were quite an odd group. Of course, there were exceptions to that rule, and one special case, Akali. The raven-haired Ionina was both very young and surprisingly experience. To most of them, it seemed as if someone took away the girl’s childhood, or her body was possessed by some demon. It would be an utter waste of time to seek any sign of innocent in her deep brown eyes. No…all one would found there was an emptiness, cold. What was so surprising to Darius, you would all probably wanted to know. The answer is quite trivial, to be perfectly honest. It was so shocking to see the raven-haired assassin to show emotions, to show hurt. After all, the girl was probably one of the most dangerous champions that ever took a stand on the Summoner’s Rift.

“Do not look at me that way!” the woman whispered, but there were no doubts, it was a direct order. “The last thing I need is someone to have pity on me!” she added in a cold tone.

“Alright,” the surprised man replied. “Can we proceed?” he asked.

“Yes… just give me a moment to wipe out the remnants of my weakness,” the Ionian responded.

“Fine, but hurry up, I’d love to be already in that damn brothel,” the Hand of Noxus stated.

“Come on, big man, we can go,” Akali sighed, wiping out the tear with the cape she was offered by Noxains on the flagship.

“Ohh… you haven’t planned to have a moment for yourself?” the general mocked.

“I am not a useless woman that you are most likely used to, I can take care of myself,” the brown-eyed assassin replied playfully. “Come on, big man, I want my bath,” she nagged.

“Are you certain that you’re so different from your kind?” Darius sighed.

“If you want, I can be more of a nuisance than I am already. You call,” Rogue said while shrugging.

“I certainly don’t want that,” the tall man responded. “Follow me,” he ordered.

“Do you honestly think that I would lose myself in such an ‘enormous’ city?” Akali mocked. “I thought better of you.”

“Oh come on, damn it, it isn’t time for your mockery!” the Hand of Noxus growled. “Just follow me.”

“Ok, ok, fine,” the raven-haired Ionian responded.

With nothing more to say, they started their walk towards the gates of the “city”. From the very first glance at the “Hope”, it was evident for Akali that the rulers of that settlement cared only about the square. The walls were built precisely to separate the rich part of the outpost from the poor. Tens of caricatured-looking builds could be spotted near the city walls. Some of them were built so close to the stone construction that they were adjacent to it. It seemed as if the builders wanted to somehow magically penetrate the wall and find themselves inside the better part of the “Hope”.

“I assume that only true Noxians living here are hidden behind that stone wall?” Akali asked after a couple of moments of looking at the settlement.

“Isn’t it evident?” Darius replied. “Of course, they do. After all, most of the citizens of that damned city are foreigners who were brought here under the decks of numerous armadas.”

“Yes… it was all too obvious,” Rouge agreed. “How are we going to get to the main ‘city’?” she asked.

“Quite easily, to be frank,” the Hand of Noxus stated. “We’re going to reach the gate, I’ll show the guards a trinket that Du Couteau’s family sent me, then we’re free to go wherever we damn please,” he explained after a small pause.

“Alright, that is all I wanted to know,” the brown-eyed assassin exclaimed.

“You have too many questions, little Rogue,” Darius sighed heavily while scratching his nape.

“I heard that,” Akali replied playfully.

Even though the raven-haired Ionian did not mention, she was more than certain that they would see the inequality among the citizens of the settlement. With every single step that they took, the “city” was closer and closer, but with it, the young woman could spot at least a couple of unwanted details. She saw the poor lying between the buildings. Some of them were clothed in rugs, some did not have anything on. At least a couple of people were wounded, they were not being helped. In fact, instead of landing some aid, stray animals were slowly separating them from the others. It seemed that such events were common here. No one was chasing away the animals, no one was getting close to the poor.

When Akali and Darius got closer to the city gates, the Ionian spotted another detail. Between the huts, there were bones. Some of them completely cleaned off of meat, the others still stained in red. The eyes of the assassin followed the trail of the bones. It was leading to a cluster of damaged buildings. Nearly all of them had their ceiling collapsed. In front of what seemed like the main entrance, two stray dirty dogs were sleeping. Their furs were covered in mud, dirt, and God-knows-what else. That mixture was entirely covering the natural colour of their furs. They seemed ill, hungry, feral.

“How many people were eaten alive by those animals?” Akali asked as soon as she averted her gaze off the pitful scenery.

“Do you really think that I know the exact number?” the man replied in a mocking tone.

“No… I do not expect you to know the number. I ask whether you know the person who allows for that?” the assassin stated sternly.

“Of course… I know all of the rats that are ruling this God-damned city,” Darius exclaimed with disgust.

“So… tell me their names!” Akali ordered. “I will have them killed before midnight myself,” she stated in a cold passionate tone.

“Easy, little Rogue,” the Might of Noxus chuckled. “Wait… you’re not joking, right?” he asked, surprised.

“Do I look like a woman who jokes around?!” the raven-haired Ionian growled. “Consider that as a training session for me. And… I am more than sure that the head of Du Couteau’s family would appreciate that I am in my peak form,” she added in a much softer tone.

“Ughhh… is there any sense for me to argue with you over that?” the tall man loudly groaned.

“No… I want them dead. It can not be helped that some people will be poor, but as a ruler, you can do quite a lot to make their life better. Those ‘rats’ as you called them, they did not do anything, and that is unacceptable. I will make sure that their corpses will end up in that pit-hole that is a nest of those stray animals.”

“Ehhh… you know that we don’t have time for that,” the Noxian tried to reason Akali.

“I do not care. You can either help me or stay out of my way,” the young woman replied.

“You don’t even have…”

“I would assume that you already acknowledge your misconception,” the assassin interrupted in a harsh tone.

“Yeah… you don’t really need a weapon, you’re the weapon,” the man sighed heavily. “Fine… I’ll tell you everything I know as soon as we get to the brothel, ok?”

“What kind of game do you play, Darius?” Akali asked. “With everything that you said yourself, I would assume you would be more than thrilled to remove those degenerates. And… yet, you are buying them time. Tell me why?!” she wanted to know.

“As I said… you’re a property of Du Couteau’s family… and I’m responsible for bringing you in one piece,” the Hand of Noxus whispered. “Long story short, it’d be best for both of us to reach the noble’s mansion as soon as possible. Then… you’ll be under Marcus Du Couteau’s command.”

“So basically, you are too scared to follow what you really want,” Rogue summed up. “Pathetic!” she added.

“Wait!” the tall man growled, grabbing the left wrist of Akali.

“I really thought that you are more than a coward, but as it is said, actions speak louder than words,” the brown-eyed beauty spatted, breaking free without much effort. “Let go of me, I will deal with them, and then I will find you to fulfil my end of the bargain.”

“Sadly… we can’t allow that to happen,” the cold manly voice sounded.

“Talon?” surprised the champion of Noxus called.

Out of the shadows, the medium-heigh man clothed in partial armour and white mask appeared.

“Darius,” the masked man greeted the general with a nod. “I see you’re having a bit of trouble here. Should I lend you some assistant?” he asked.

“No, Sir,” the Might of Noxus replied immediately, bowing. “I have everything under control.”

“I doubt that, Darius,” Talon chuckled while taking off his mask and lowering his hood. His medium-length dark hair was slightly messy. “Hello, Akali, it’s been ages since we met last time,” he added after a short pause.

The man focused his gaze onto the raven-haired woman. The colour of his eyes would be difficult to describe. Sometimes they seemed to be light brown, sometimes they seemed like an amber. After a few seconds of silent stare contest, Akali decided that the amber option was closer to the reality. The right ear of the assassin was pierced with two small silver rings.

“Could you explain why are you here, Talon?” the Ionian said in an annoyed voice, slightly lowering her head.

“Oh, gladly, thanks for asking,” the Noxian assassin cheerfully replied. “My master – Marcus Du Couteau’s – sent me with a few of his soldiers to act as your escort. He wishes you to reach up the mansion as soon as it’s possible,” he explained.

“Oh… well,” the brown-eyed beauty replied, raising her head, and rolling her eyes. “As I already said that, but I will gladly repeat that for you. I will fulfil what I promised as soon as those ‘rats’ die,” she repeated in a cold tone.

“Yes, yes… I’ve heard it the last time you’ve mentioned it,” Talon replied in a bored tone, making gestures. “Let’s make a deal, shall we?” he asked.

“You Noxain… are very eager for making deals,” the raven-haired assassin sighed, shaking her head. “Firstly… tell me what kind of deal you want to propose, hmm?”

“Sir… I don’t think…” Darius started in a low tone.

“Darius, Darius, Darius,” the Noxian assassin said. “I thought that I wouldn’t have to tell you that, but… your job is done here,” he stated in a cold, low voice. “From now on, you’re going to act as a part of the escort that Du Couteau’s family generously sent here. Am I clear?” the man asked not even looking at the general.

“Yes, Sir,” the Hand of Noxus replied immediately.

“Splendid!” Talon exclaimed loudly. “As of the deal… I’ll make an appointment with the rules of that God-forsaken city, then you can kill them nice and easy,” he explained his offer.

“What is the catch?” Rogue immediately asked. “What do you want in return?”

“Not much… I want to see you back in action,” the dark-haired assassin chuckled. “As you said, my master wants you to be in top form, and… I’ll gladly confirm it with my very own eyes,” he smiled mischievously.

“Oh… so that the deal,” the ninja hummed. “You are going to test me not only by killing them but fighting you, am I right?” she asked a moment later.

“Ooo… certainly, you ain’t going to show even a fraction of your potential on these ‘rats’ as you generously named them,” Talon replied cooly. “I’m going to be your test, after all, if you can’t beat one of the best, how are you going to fare against the tasks you’ll end up assigned to, hmm?”

“Deal,” Rogue responded simply. “I am not a coward to run away from a challenge,” she added while starring at the amber-eyed man. “Make an appointment, and we can start the dance.”

“I love the way you express your confidence,” the dark-haired assassin whispered. “I’ve always loved to see people as confident as you falling before me. But… I must admit if you’re even remotely close to the level you showed in Institute, it’s going to be a great fight. I can’t wait for it,” he added with a broad, maniacal smile.

“Another maniac, pfff,” Akali scoffed. “You Noxains do like to make speeches and devote yourself maniacally to someone. But… I guess I am still going to accept the deal. Let’s proceed with it.”

“Splendid!” Talon exclaimed cheerfully. "Du Couteau always send their regards."


	4. The test

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm posting the 4th part of the story. It's short, and to be frank, I did not have time to check it, so please if you spot an error, tell me.
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy it :) Expect the whole chapter will be posted at max at the end of the week.
> 
> As always, thanks for everything, and see you next time :D
> 
> Changelog:  
> 2021-01-17: A preview posted.  
> 2021-01-20: A whole chapter posted.

The sounds of carriage’s wheels clattering on the rocky road started to irritate the masked ninja. Every couple of metres, the stone could be found buried partially in the dirt. The quality of the pathway was so bad that the cart was shaking all the time. From time to time, it seemed as if the vehicle was about to crumble. Who would have thought that in the empire like Nexus roads would not be made out of stone? Apparently, Akali was one of these people. The bulky man right in front of her was sitting silently, focusing on his very own thoughts. Darius did not even mention how long would the journey take. Their destination was all the raven-haired woman knew. Du Couteau’s estate, in the assassin’s mind, the name started to be considered a myth. After all, all the important people she already met were talking about it, but yet, she did not see it with her own eyes. Just like every single myth, she could think of, the place seemed to be covered in some sort of mystery.

“You’re awfully quiet,” the muscular Noxian started the conversation.

“Pff,” the ninja scoffed quietly. “When was I the talkative type to begin with?” she opted to replied with a question of her own.

“You were taking much more before Talon’s challenge, I’m pretty sure of that,” the general responded with a slightly exhausted voice.

“It was nothing,” Akali stated, tilting her head slightly to the right, toward the carriage’s window.

“Your body language says something opposite, entirely,” the Hand of Noxus made a comment.

“Believe in everything you want, I do not care about you believing me or not,” the Ionian exclaimed nonchalantly, shrugging.

“How about telling me what happened there, heh?” the Noxian soldier asked. “After all, it’s not a big deal for you, isn’t it?” he started to mock the woman. “You’ve said it yourself, it was nothing to you,” the man repeated the woman’s words.

“Ehhh,” the assassin sighed. “Fine, I will tell you everything,” she added. “Still, I have one condition. Do not ask question till I finish, understood?”

“I can work with that condition,” the dark-haired man nodded. “Shall we begin?”

“If that is what you really want… sure,” Akali uttered slowly.

**_A couple of hours earlier:_ **

* * *

The sound of clattering steel could be heard with every single move Akali made. Talon insisted on putting shackles on her. The man wanted the appointment with the ‘rats’ to look believable, at least at the very beginning. Akali felt the bonds wrapped around her wrists and neck tightening. Maybe it was just her head, but the young woman could swear that it was constantly happening. It did not take much time to start feeling as if she was being chocked, strangled. A hoarse cough escaped her throat.

“Comfortable?” Talon whispered into the woman’s ear. “Just by looking at you, I can tell that you’ve never been chained before,” he added, circling around Akali. “How does it feel to be on a leash, bonded like a feral animal?” the man asked, flashing a mischievous smirk.

“You are a sadistic freak, are you not?” Rogue replied, coughing. “You Noxians in most cases are the same,” she added, visible struggling not only to speak but to take a breath.

“Oh?” the dark-haired man chuckled. “You really think that you’re so different from me, from us?” he asked. “I’d disagree with you. After all, your hands aren’t much cleaner than mine,” he began laughing maniacally.

“Can we proceed with that farse?” Akali asked, trying to sound as nonchalantly as it was possible.

“Oh, right. I’ve almost forgotten about that nuisance. I’m enjoying what we have right now, way too much,” Talon began mocking. “Watching you struggling to take a breath is… a sight to behold,” he added with a full smirk. “Who would have thought that such a mighty champion could end like that? Don’t worry, I’ll unchain you before our duel. After all, there wouldn’t be any pleasure in defeating you handycapped,” the man whispered, emphasising every single word with venom.

“I hope you are enjoying this twisted game of yours,” the raven-haired woman breathed out. “Cause, as soon as these shackles are dropped, I will make sure that you end up paying for that,” she uttered, eyes fixed on the Noxian.

“Oh, my, my, my,” Talon mocked. “Was it a threat that I heard?” he asked, smirking from ear to ear. “It seems that lioness still has her fangs,” the man continued to mock.

“Fulfil your part of the deal,” Rogue demanded. “As soon as you do your part, I will do mine,” she added.

“Splendid! Follow me, pet!” the Noxian assassin ordered.

For a moment shorter than a fraction of a second, Akali wondered whether to end this farse right here, right now. That thought was discarded, after all, he was Du Couteaus’ messenger. At least for now, the Ionian needed to play by Noxian rules. With a slightly muffed sigh, she followed the man.

“Ah, before I’ll forget, put that on,” the dark-haired man said, stopping in the middle of the step.

Maybe a moment later, Talon reached out toward the inner pocket of his coat. For a few seconds, the man was searching for something intensively. “Where have I put it?” he nagged when the search was extended. Finally, Akali was offered a plain white mask.

“Why bother using the mask?” the woman asked, surprised.

“You know, the intel is worth a lot, and for now, we don’t want anyone to recognise you,” Talon replied, shrugging. “For Ionina, you’re dead, and it’d be best for both of us if that doesn’t change.”

“I see,” Akali breathed out with difficulties, accepting an item, and putting it on instantly.

“Good girl,” the dark-haired man mocked. “Maybe… I should give you some other orders, you know, just to make sure whether you’re so obedient,” he laughed.

“Cut that nonsense!” Rogue growled.

“As you wish,” the Noxian uttered with a broad smirk playing on his lips. “But, who knows, maybe you’d end up liking what I had in mind,” he giggled.

“I would certainly not,” Akali assured the messenger.

Talon did flash one more mischievous smirk at the woman before turning around. He rose his right hand, ordering her to follow him. Akali tried to stay unphased, but inside, her blood was boiling, she wanted him to pay for all this nonsense. Still, her face did not give away any of her feelings, remaining emotionless. The tight steel wrapped around her neck was the problem she needed to be fixed as soon as possible. The cold metal began to mark her skin, bruising it, wounding it. The shackles must have been enhanced magically, about that, the Ionian was more than certain. Still, it did not matter currently.

Within the next 15 minutes, they reached the town hall where the audition was to be held. The masked woman would never consider the building to be impressive. It was far from it. The entirety of the construction was made out of uncut stone. The pieces were glued together with the help of a mortar, most likely a bad quality one. With just a couple of glances that she opted to spare, she noticed at least 10 spots where the mortar began to crumble. It was just a matter of time before all of these would collapse.

The members of the local militia guarded the entrance to the “rats’” lair. The woman must admit that the men were quite muscular, but their equipment’s quality left a lot to be desired. They would not stand a chance against her. As it was to be expected, the guardsmen stopped them. Akali tried not to focus an ounce of her mind on the conversation between Du Couteaus’ messenger and the soldiers. It did not really matter at all. After all, she needed to wait just for a couple of moments longer. For the ‘rats’ to gather inside this crumbling building, inside one room. The time of her wrath was fast approaching, all that was required from her currently was a bit more patience.

Patience, that was what she needed, sadly it was also something that she clearly lacked, at that moment apparently. From time to time, she allowed herself to hiss, growl. It was so uncharacteristic out of her, but she could not help it. With the corner of her eye, she could see the soldiers staring at her. In their eyes, the fear could be found. “They do not know who I am,” she thought. It was evident that Talon lied to them, requesting the audition with the ruling council. Based on the guardsmen’s facial expression, the male assassin might have introduced her as some kind of monster. Frankly, she did not care. For now, the Noxian was the one holding all the cards, but that situation was about to change really soon.

The soldiers let them through after a couple of prolonged moments of discussion with Talon. The dark oak doors were opened before them, inviting them to enter. The Noxian assassin did not waste a moment, heading straight toward the stairs visible at the end of the long corridor. Just to make her current identity a bit more realistic, she allowed herself to growl a couple of times, wriggling, trying to overcome the shackles. Based on the loud gasps that escaped the soldiers’ throats, she succeeded in that act. Rogue allowed herself to smirk under the white mask. Even though the dark-haired messenger did not smile openly, a glimpse of admiration could be spotted in his amber eyes. The man put on the mask showing the utter boredom. Once it was on, he pulled the chain, forcing the Ionian to follow him. It was evident that he enjoyed the little show, but the time was of an essence. There was no point in wasting it. When the steel collar wrapped around her neck tightened, Rogue coughed, having difficulties to catch a breath. Without any other option available to her, Akali followed the dark-haired Noxian.

Before Akali could notice, they reached their destination. Reaching it did not take them as much time as she initially anticipated, which was wordlessly welcomed by the ninja. The quicker she could deal with the “rats”, the quicker she would reach Du Couteaus’ estate. The large room they entered was lighted by dozens if not more candles located all over the place. The pleasant smell of fruits was filling the air. At the very centre of the room, a round table with 5 chairs could be seen. The rulers of the city already were in, sitting on their rightful places, awaiting them. In front of Akali - 5 men not older than 30 years old, all wore long, elegant coats. The carafe with red wine was half empty. It seemed that 3 of the rulers opted to moisten their throats with the red liquid. Maybe… there were more details located inside the room, but Rogue’s gaze was fixed at the aristocrats. Her rage could be barely controlled, tamed. “Just a couple of moments more,” she whispered under her breath.

“What’s the reason for your oh-so-sudden request, Du Couteaus’ messenger?” the man seated right in the middle asked, not even trying to hide his disgust. Between the strands of his short, blond hairs, the diadem could be spotted. “Who’s this freak that you’re keeping on a leash?!”

“Armentis Khrell,” Talon slowly started. “I believe that you have no right to give me orders of any sort,” he finished with a broad smirk. “As long as my master wants something, you – rats – will do everything to please him, are we clear?” the dark-haired man asked, making threat openly.

“You’re far from your master, dog!” the man with long reddish hair rose his voice. “You’re in our city, you’re under our protection, and you’re required to obey our rules!” he added with a disgusting smile playing on his small lips. “I’d think twice before showing your bravery again. With just a flip of my fingers, the guards will be here in moments!” the red-haired man threatened.

“As if I was scared of your useless guards,” the dark-haired assassin mocked, flashing a quick smirk. “My master has one last request for you,” he added.

“Don’t lie, little boy,” the raven-haired man sitting at the very right of the table sounded. “Your master is not to be trusted, everyone knows that,” he added, staring right into Akali with his stone-cold eyes. “Say what you have to say, and then, be gone!”

“What’s the request of your oh-so-useless master?” the brown-haired man asked. “What does he need, money, women, people to die for him? He can find it outside of our city walls. A lot of dogs are there, waiting for someone to take a pity on them!” he chuckled, reaching out for his glass filled with the remnants of wine.

“One last request you said?” the man with platinum hair hummed. “What does Du Couteaus’ house want?” he asked.

“Oh,” Talon hummed, flashing a nasty smile. “He wishes to know whether his new invest was really worth all the effort put into it,” he started.

“Is she the invest you’ve mentioned?” the blond-haired man asked, smirking. “By the look of things, I can say that if he wanted to find a girl to fuck in the heat of the night, he made a good decision. If he wanted her to be a soldier? Hmmm, how should I refer that? Your master made a terrible mistake,” the man commented.

“You think so?” the raven-haired member of the council asked, raising his brow. “She’s an assassin, under her thin skin, there’re more muscles than either of you have,” he commented toward the rest of the rulers.

“Vladimir Kross, you must have been joking,” Krell uttered slowly. “She’s a simple whore. A girl for one night, nothing more. By no means she’s a soldier,” he presented his opinion.

“Rats!” Du Couteaus’ messenger called the council. “I’d really want to hear you arguing a little more, but, sadly, the time is of the essence for my master and me,” he added with a nasty smile. “Killer, they’re all yours,” the dark-haired man whispered, breaking the bonds that chained the Ionian.

Vladimir did not seem to be surprised with the situation change. In a moment faster than a fraction of a second, he drew a short dagger, throwing it at Talon. Surprisingly, the assassin was not able to dodge the blade, at least not entirely. Just a moment later, the sound of steel piercing the flesh could be heard. The short blade reached the Noxian, burying deep inside his left shoulder. Before the shackles fell onto the ground, the low hiss sounded. Akali ignored the messenger. It was her time to shed some blood.

She ran toward the men. Within mere moments, the two identical blades were drawn. Even though Vladimir threw a couple of daggers more at her, she did not care. With little to none effort, the steel objects were dodged or reflected with her own swords. The red-haired man started to hit at the nearest heavy bell with all his might, he stank of fear. The raven-haired ruler was the only one who launched toward her while the rest tried to hide at the very end of the room.

Less than a few seconds later, the clattering of steel began. Vladimir stroke with his longsword, putting quite a lot of strength into the strike. Without hesitation, Akali pushed one of her blades forward, taking the strike’s impact. At the same time, the second one was used to reach the ruler. The raven-haired man backed off swiftly, avoiding the slash, to some extent. The much shorter blade cut his coat, drawing a thin red line on his left arm. The hiss was muffled, but glimpses of hesitation began to appear inside the cold eyes of the man. Rogue did not let her opponent rest. As soon as the slash was dodged, she closed the distance between them, making Vladimir’s long blade useless. The aristocrat tried to put some ground between them, but there was nothing to run soon enough. His broad back hit the wall, marking the end of his run. A fraction of a second that was bought by the sudden impact cost him his life. Without even an ounce of hesitation or mercy, the ninja priced the vest made out of fine leather, cutting the man’s heart in half. Just a moment later, Vladimir started to choke on with his own blood, collapsing onto the ground soon later.

As from a distance, the sounds of heavy boots reached out Rogue’s ears. The guardsmen were approaching rapidly. She needed to finish the job before she would be overwhelmed. The 4 still-alive council members were hugging the wall. They tried to act as if they could hide out of the Ionian’s sight. With a quiet sigh, the raven-haired woman withdrew her blades out of Vladimir’s corpse. Out of 5 of them, only Vladimir seemed to be a soldier or had some warfare experience. When the ninja turned around to face them, they began to whine, pleading for their lives. Sadly, for them, Akali had none mercy neither inside her mind or heart. The woman did not rush toward them, she opted to walk as slowly as she could. The remaining council’s members were gone already. They feared her, it was evident. At least one of them dropped his weapon, trying to run past her, trying to escape. The try was an utter failure. Akali did not even spare a glance toward the red-haired man once she grabbed him. As quickly as she could, her blade descended onto the man, beheading him in an instant. The guards were getting closer, there was no more time for her to enjoy the bloodshed. As soon as the realisation hit her, she rushed toward the terrified men. Butchering them in a blink of the eye.

When the guardsmen finally entered the room, they found the ninja standing still beside the butchered corpses. She was covered in fresh blood, breathing steadily, fresh to fight. For a moment, she averted her gaze off of the dead bodies, to look straight at the soldiers gathering in the room. Even though she had the mask still on, no one would argue about what her glance meant. “Are you really want to fight me?” the silent question was asked. Rogue waited for the men to decide what they would be doing. Her muscles were tensed, flexed. Just a single excuse was all she waited for. If she had spotted it, she would have brought a carnage upon the guardsmen. She saw their hesitation, she understood it. Still, at the very end, one of them decided to try to punish the assassin.

Everything became a blur. Before the soldiers were given a chance to take a form, the raven-haired woman attacked. She did not care anymore. She wanted that day to be finally over. To achieve that, she needed to kill these men. If she received some wounds, it did not matter. She could feel her clothes, her skin to be cut. Akali could see gallons of red liquid splashing all over the room, all over her frame. Still, mostly it was not her own blood. Even though her mind seemed to be turned off, her body had a combat memory. It worked without a single thought running through Rogue’s mind. It was just a killing machine, no, she was just a killing machine.

After some time, it was finally over. The raven-haired Ionian was bleeding from dozens of cuts located all over her body. None of them was deep, serious, needed to be taken care of. Beside her, the corpses of the local militia could be found. It was safe to say that the current scenery was not so different from the butchery. None of the bodies might have been still in one piece.

In most cases, the limbs were scattered all over the furniture, floor, or even ceiling. For someone not used to the bloodshed, the sight alone could cause a vomit. The sweet scent of death was filling the room, mixing with the smell of blood, faeces.

“I think, I’ve seen enough,” Talon uttered very slowly.

“You did not think that I will fight all of them, did you not?” Rogue asked in a whisper-like manner.

“No, I’ve certainly not,” the Noxian assassin admitted.

“You fear me, now?” the Ionian woman asked, fixing her exhausted eyes onto the dark-haired man.

“Yes,” he replied. There was no point in denying the fact. He was scared of the woman. After all, she butchered at least 20 people with little to none effort. There was no point in lying, cause his eyes showed his feelings. The deep primal fear resided there.


End file.
